Walker plans to avoid controversy with 2013-14 budget

Governor says he'll steer clear of issues that could draw protests

4:50 PM,
Jan. 4, 2013

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, second from left, and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch are greeted by the governor's cabinet and staff at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison a day after Walker won a recall election.

Written by

Mary Spicuzza
mspicuzza@madison.com

Gov. Scott Walker vows that none of the legislation he supports this session will prompt massive protests like those that rocked the state Capitol soon after he became governor in 2011 and unveiled a plan to all but end collective bargaining for most public workers.

"We're not going to do things that are going to bring 80,000 or 100,000 people into the Capitol," Walker told the State Journal in a recent interview. "It's just not going to happen again."

But as Walker enters the final two years of his first term and prepares his 2013-14 budget, he'll face dual challenges, observers said. ...